The New Adventures of Pinocchio (TV series) explained

Theme Music Composer:Jules Bass
Num Seasons:1
Num Episodes:130
Cinematography:Tadahito Mochinaga
Runtime:4.2 min.

The New Adventures of Pinocchio is a 1961 syndicated stop motion animated television series produced by Rankin/Bass Productions in the United States and made by Dentsu Studios in Japan.[1] Created by Arthur Rankin, Jr. and his partner Jules Bass, it was based on the 1883 book The Adventures of Pinocchio written by Italian author, Carlo Collodi. The series was Rankin/Bass' first production to be made in "Animagic", a stop motion puppet animation technique which, in association with the company, was done by Tadahito Mochinaga's MOM Productions.

A total of 130 five-minute "chapters" were produced in 1960–61. These segments made up a series of five-chapter, 25-minute episodes.[2] The show was deliberately designed to not emulate Walt Disney Animation Studios' popular 1940 version of Pinocchio in character design or characterization; the puppet wore a T-shirt and shorts instead of a Tyrolean hat, the Cricket (not Jiminy Cricket) had a high-pitched, grating voice, and Geppetto was calm and deliberate, unlike Disney's excitable and absent-minded woodcarver.[3]

The series premiered the week of February 6, 1961 on select local stations.[4] During 1963–64, the series was also aired in Japan on Fuji TV as part of another stop motion TV series, Prince Ciscorn (シスコン王子, lit. Ciscorn Ōji), based on the manga by Fujiko Fujio and also produced by Tadahito Mochinaga for Studio KAI and Dentsu.

Twenty years later, in 1980, Rankin/Bass produced another stop motion adaptation of the novel for the American Broadcasting Company, a Christmas special called Pinocchio's Christmas, which featured a different voice cast including George S. Irving as Geppetto; Todd Porter as Pinocchio; Alan King as Maestro Fire-Eater; Allen Swift as the Fox; Pat Bright as the Cat; and Diane Leslie as Lady Azura.

Summary

An old wood carver Geppetto narrates the series, explaining on how he made a magically living puppet named Pinocchio, who can walk, jump, run and do other things without strings. In addition, he is also known to have his nose grow whenever he tell lies on anything be it right or wrong. Displeased with the need to continue living as a puppet, Pinocchio sets off on a journey with his friend Cricket to find the Blue Fairy, hoping that she can transform him into a real boy (in other words, a human) with her magic. But along the way, Pinocchio and Cricket encounter the two anthropomorphic animal cons, Foxy Q. Fibble and Cool S. Cat, as well as the greatest adventures, mishaps, danger and excitement than they would ever imagine.

Character voices

Production staff

Episodes

  1. It's No Joke Picnic
  2. Ring・a・ding・ding・ding
  3. Sprinkle Sprinkle Little Star
  4. Ten Cents a Glance
  5. Pretty Pussycat Nips
  6. Rocket to Fame
  7. Short Circuit
  8. It's Cool in the Cooler
  9. Back Stage Life
  10. All Down Hill
  11. Too Many Ghosts
  12. Horse Sense
  13. One Little Indian
  14. Cattle Rattle
  15. By Hook or By Crook
  16. Not So Private Eye
  17. Cash and Carry Harry
  18. Dognet
  19. The Gold Brick Trick
  20. Simoro's Last Chance
  21. Romin' in the Glomin'
  22. Flying Bagpipes
  23. Hide and Seek
  24. Stop Gap Sap
  25. Feud for All
  26. Glockenspiel
  27. Peanut Butter Battle
  28. Upside Down Town
  29. Robot Rhapsody
  30. Big Bomb Cake
  31. Back Track
  32. Hot Rod Hobo
  33. Duck Luck
  34. Danny the Boon
  35. Dynamite Bright
  36. O'Lafferty the Magnificent
  37. Lock Stock and Crock
  38. Hup Two Three Four
  39. No Banks Thanks
  40. The Crick Trick
  41. Grab Bag
  42. Pick a Pocket
  43. Kangaroo Capers
  44. Paunchy Pouch
  45. Kangaroo Caught
  46. Havin' a Ball
  47. A Choice of Voice
  48. The Pale Inhale
  49. Down the Hatch
  50. Cricket High
  51. Detour for Sure
  52. Once Around Please
  53. The Vast Mast
  54. The Treasure Measure
  55. Not So Hot Knot
  56. The Big Top Stop
  57. Monkey See
  58. Big Shot
  59. A Ticklish Situation
  60. Clowning Around
  61. Stroll Around the Pole
  62. The Bear Facts
  63. Something's Fishy
  64. Fast Talk
  65. Snow Use
  66. The Highway Man
  67. To Track a Thief
  68. Sleep Watcher
  69. A Dog's Best Friend
  70. Thrown by the Throne
  71. The Cast Offs
  72. Mutiny on the Clipper
  73. Floundering Around
  74. The Litterbugs
  75. Atlantis City
  76. Steed Stallion
  77. Chief Big Cheese
  78. The Water Boy
  79. The Little Train Robbery
  80. Simon Says
  81. Sky Spy
  82. Glockenspiel's Spiel
  83. The Gas Man Cometh
  84. The Impatient Patient
  85. The Astronuts
  86. Special Delivery
  87. Go Fly a Kite
  88. Marooned
  89. The Foot Print
  90. Homeward Bound
  91. Wish Wish and Away
  92. Lead on Leprechaun
  93. Westward Whoa
  94. TV Time
  95. Baby Big
  96. Follow That Horse
  97. Stage West
  98. Draw Pardner
  99. The Race
  100. The Gold Bug
  101. Away with the Wind
  102. The Hard Sell
  103. The Witch Switch
  104. Sky High
  105. Romeo Fibble
  106. Wanted
  107. Going Down
  108. Under Ground Found
  109. The Gold Bird
  110. The Big Heist
  111. Willy Wiggly
  112. Substitute
  113. Borschtville
  114. A Fair Trail
  115. The Rescue Rock
  116. Writers in the Sky
  117. The Zany Zombies
  118. Sleep Head
  119. The Boss Who Came to Dinner
  120. Witch Switch
  121. Witching You Well
  122. Candy Land
  123. Aw Fudge
  124. The Phoney Fairy
  125. The Fastest Wind
  126. Willy Nilly
  127. Hog Bellows
  128. An Ace in the Hole
  129. Rosco Romp
  130. Lady Barber

References

  1. Book: Perlmutter . David . The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows . 2018 . Rowman & Littlefield . 978-1538103739 . 427–428.
  2. Web site: The New Adventures of Pinocchio Cartoon Episode Guide (1960) @ BCDB . https://archive.today/20130117171118/http://www.bcdb.com/cartoons/Other_Studios/R/Rankin_Bass_Productions/The_New_Adventures_of_Pinocchio/index.html . dead . January 17, 2013 . Bcdb.com . 2012-07-06.
  3. Book: Erickson . Hal . Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 . 2005 . 2nd . McFarland & Co . 978-1476665993 . 619–621.
  4. Videocraft's new tv animation technique (page 72). Broadcasting. February 13, 1961.